Harbour

Honfleur Visitors "quais"

4.3Honfleur, FranceCôte Fleurie and Alabaster Coast

Maximum length: 65 ft
VHF channel: 9

Visitor berths along the quays of the Vieux Bassin of Honfleur, at the south bank of the Seine estuary in Normandy. Six pontoon spaces for yachts under 14 m.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the Seine estuary through the Chenal de Rouen, keeping clear of the commercial shipping lane. The Avant-Port leads to the écluse de Honfleur, opened at HW plus or minus 2 hours, then to the Pont de la Lieutenance bascule bridge giving access to the Vieux Bassin. Call Honfleur plaisance on VHF 9 at least ten minutes before the bridge; lock operations on VHF 17. The lock is straightforward, with little current inside: take the plastic-sheathed steel cable amidships, then a line to the stern and one to the cable or bow. The Vieux Bassin and its bridge have been closed for the foreseeable future after three buildings were found unstable, so berthing is on the Avant-Port visitor pontoon.

Practical

Sixty-five resident berths plus four visitor places on catways in the Vieux Bassin, with overflow along the quai Sainte-Catherine. The Avant-Port visitor pontoon is quiet, whereas berths in the Vieux Bassin catch noise from the quayside restaurants at night. Water and electricity on the catways. Fuel at Bassin de l'Est, 400 m SE. Capitainerie hours adapt to season, with daily service from April to September.

Ashore

Église Sainte-Catherine, largest wooden church in France, built by the shipwrights in the 15th century, on the quay. Musée Eugène Boudin at 200 m, with Boudin, Monet and Dubourg canvases. Old salt stores, Greniers à sel, rue de la Ville at 150 m, 17th century stone barns.

History

Honfleur was a fortified port from the 11th century and from 1608 Samuel de Champlain sailed from here to found Quebec. The Vieux Bassin was dug on the order of Colbert in 1681, and the slate-clad tall houses on the quai Sainte-Catherine, dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, were built on the narrow plots of the old town wall.

Story

Eugène Boudin, a native of Honfleur, taught the young Claude Monet to paint outdoors on these quays in the 1850s, a starting point often cited for Impressionism.

Key facts

Type: Harbour
Coordinates: 49.42285, 0.23429 (49°25.37'N 0°14.06'E)
Town: Honfleur
Country: France
Maximum length: 65 ft
VHF channel: 9
Boaters' rating: 4.3/5
Updated: October 15, 2026

Getting there

Honfleur Visitors "quais" lies at 49°25.37'N 0°14.06'E, that is 49.42285, 0.23429 in decimal degrees. Call the harbour on VHF channel 9 before entering.

DirectionsVHF 9